Week in Review: book bans, grade inflation, and the Seattle Police Department

Bill Radke discusses the week’s news with Sarah Anne Lloyd, Bill Finkbeiner, and Claudia Rowe.

Book-banning is at an all-time high, nationwide. Our state legislature is in session and Democrats are supporting a bill to limit these book challenges. The bill would prohibit schools from banning books because they're written by or about marginalized groups, like people of color and the LGBTQ community.

Another bill would require the inclusion of histories, contributions, and perspectives of LGBTQ people in age-appropriate school curriculum. Should the school be able to provide an alternative just for certain parents' children, rather than changing the curriculum for all students?

RELATED: Banning books in Washington state schools could get harder if bill passes

Grades in Washington may not indicate how well a student is doing in school, researchers say. And they worry about kids falling further behind if things don’t change. Many Washington students are nearly half a year behind in learning and achieving when compared with pre-pandemic levels. Districts in higher-poverty areas fell further behind than the richer district students. Does the public on some level encourage grade inflation?

RELATED: Why are grades up and test scores down in Washington state? UW study examines grade inflation

Seattle police officer Kevin Dave was speeding through a South Lake Union on his way to a 911 call last year when he hit and killed pedestrian Jaahnavi Kandula. This week, King County prosecutors said after investigating the collision and determining that Dave had "used appropriate emergency warning equipment," they've decided not to file felony criminal charges against him. Does this seem like justice?

RELATED: No charges for SPD officer who struck and killed Jaahnavi Kandula

Two Seattle police officers were suspended without pay after taking 20 minutes to respond to a priority report of a shooting at a SoDo nightclub. When they did respond, they reported “everything looks fine” and initially wrote the incident off as a disturbance. The Office of Police Accountability found the officers violated professionalism standards and failed in their job of protecting the community. Chief Adrian Diaz agreed, giving them nine-hour suspensions. The median response time for a priority one call is just under eight minutes. Was the discipline appropriate?

A nonprofit law firm that advocates for low-income and marginalized people says Washington's prison labor system “is nothing short of modern-day slavery.” Inmates may work for as little as $1 per hour, paying unfair costs to stay healthy and connected, and face negative consequences if they decline to work. The firm recommends higher wages, lower costs, and an end to “coerced labor.” None of their recommendations have moved ahead in the legislature. What do legislators say about increasing prison wages?